Save $5 on the new Purewrist Go wearable payment bracelet

It goes without saying that we need new ways to do certain things -- ways that help minimize the spread of potentially deadly germs. Here's one: a contactless payment system, something that eliminates the need to, say, hand a credit card to a cashier or touch a processing terminal.

Purewrist Go is one such solution. It's a small NFC-based card you wear inside a silicone wristband. It works with any terminal that accepts Mastercard debit contactless payments; just bring your wrist near and presto, payment made.

Intrigued? The starter package normally costs $25 (plus a minimum of $10 preloaded on the card), but for a limited time, Cheapskate readers can save $5 on the Purewrist Go with promo code CNET1.

There's a lot to unpack here, so I'm going to start by steering you to the Purewrist FAQ page. It covers everything you need to know about setup, security and all that. A couple things to note straightaway, though:

• Fun fact: Although you use your phone to set up your Purewrist account, it doesn't actually communicate directly with the card.
• When you first buy and activate the Go, you can spend whatever amount was preloaded on the card. To add more funds, you'll need to "upgrade," meaning verifying your identity and linking up your bank or an existing credit or debit card.
• After you do that, there's a $4.95-per-month maintenance fee if you don't spend at least $250.

I don't love that last requirement, though certainly there are other kinds of payment accounts that have similar minimums.

Meanwhile, if you're already using something like Apple Pay or Google Pay, this might seem superfluous. But the aforementioned Mastercard terminals are, I believe, far more ubiquitous than those that work with phones.

Anyway, read the FAQ, then decide if this seems like a good fit for you. There's definitely merit in having a contactless payment option at the ready, and $20 seems like a reasonable fee for getting started.

Your thoughts?

Watch this: Now What: Why we're trading cash for contactless

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